Engine-starting apparatus.



E. A. HALBLEIB.

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Arnaz, 1911.

1,017,538. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

WfiIIIIHS8 2 E W Q W, M1 M417 UNITED sharps PATENT orator.

EDWARD A. HALIBLEIB, or RocHEs'rErg, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO NORTHEAST mac. TRIC COMPANY ,-OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION.

I ENGINE-STABi'IING APPARATUS.

To all whom it'mcy concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD AJ'HALBLEIB, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovement-s in Engine-Starting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for start ng .dIltGIIlal-COmbllStlOll engines, of the type; m which combustible mixture is forced intopne or more of the cylinders and ignited. to provide the primary impulse-for the engine. In-such'apparatus it has been heretofore proposed, as, for example, inmycopending application filed September 6, '19l0,-Serial No. 580,785, to provide a se lector operated automatically by pressure from; the engine-cylinders, for directingthe combustible mixture to the cylinder or cylinders in which the piston is in the right position to produce a working stroke.

' "The present invention relates particularly toi'af selector of this type.

fine object of the invention is to producea simple and reliable selector which is adaptedto control the inlet-passages of a plurality of cylinders, particularly'where the cylinders in question are either three or six in number. To this end I employ a device having selectorvalves which are mechanically interconnected in such manner that when one-valve opens,'in response'to pressure from the cylinder controlled thereby, a plurality of other valves are automatically moved to and held in closed position by the opening of the firstvalve. This arrangement is particularly applicable to a group. of three cylinders, as I have devised a lever of triangular form by which the three corresponding valves. may be. effectively interconnected in the required manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind in question with automatic means by which the transmission of pressure from the engine-cylinders shall be prevented or diminished during normal running of the engine, so as'to minimize .or avoididle movements in the parts of the selector. To this end I interpose-in the connections between the selectorand the enginecylinder, a device which permits gas to pass freely from the selector to the cyllnder, but opposes the flow in the reverse Specification of Letters Patent.

r Patented Feb. 13', 1912. Application filed April 12, 1911. Serial No, 620,683. I i

' direction to such a degree as to substan-.

tially prevent such flow .in the short periods of time'occupied by the normal compression and expansion-strokes of the-engine.

A third object of the invention is toprevent the transmission of excessiveheahto the selector, and to this object the auto matic arrangement just described contributes, while I employ, as further provision to this end, an arrangement in which the gas from the engine must flow through 'a long and narrow passage .in which it is QEQCtII. ally cooled before reaching the-selectori In the accompanying drawings Figure'l is a side-elevation, partly in section, of an automatic selector 1 embodying the presentinvention,'--the figure indicatin'gyalso, 'dia-' grammatically, a source of supply; otflcombus tible mixture with which the selector is connected; Fig. 2 is avertical "section through the selector on the line 2-2 Big,

l; and Fig; 3 is a detail-view, in side eleva+ tion, showing one of-the triangular levers. The illustrated; embodiment of the invention is a selector adapted-foruse incense tion with a, six-cylinder internal-'combus tion engine,-such as is commonly employed in automobiles. The moving partsflof selector arej-inclos'ed within a casing com prising 'two iriembersQland generally; SlIIlllaI', in form, these members belng Sc cured together by screws 6. Combustible mixture is introduced into'= the casing" through an inlet 7, the casing being 0011- nected, for-this purpose, by means of a pipe 8, with any suitable source of supply. In.-

Fig. l I have "indicated such a source diagrammatically as comprising a mixing chamber 19, supplied with air by an airpump 10, and with liquid fuel through a pipe 11. ,The air and fuel are'mixed by any ordinary or suitable device ;in the mixing chamber 9, and are forced, by'the-operation of the air-pump, through the pipe 8 to the distributer, and thence to the cylinders of the engine.

The distributer is provided with six out letsconnected, by pipes- 12, with the respec tive cylinders 13 of the engine. The pipes l2"are c'onnected,-= by glands 14:, with bushings 15 screwed h tothe'casing, these bushi but freely: infa cylindricall sleeve or valveings being providedwith valve-seatscon casing '17. Cooperating with each valve-ball 'is a detent-ball 18 which is pressedup'ward by aspring 19, so as to engage the valve and retain it 1n either open or closed position, as shown, respectively, at the left and the right in Fig. 1.

Each valve-casing is provided with inletopeningS 20 communicating with a passage 21 in the casing. .This passage is closed, at its outer end, by a-screw-threaded plug 22 afi'ording access to the interior, and communicates, through. an opening 23, with the 1 central openspace in the casing. The comthe openings into the valve-casing, and,

seat to bustible mixture flows from said space throughthe opening 23, the passage 21, and

in casethevvalve is open, it passes thence through the outlet and the pipe 12 to the engine-cylinder. -On the otherhand, when the enginehas been running and is brought to rest, from those cylinders in which the To prevent this gas from entering the body finger 28, which of the casing the passage 21 is controlled by a ball check-valve 25, cotiperating with a valve-seat 24 which is screwed into the casing in the passage 21. A spring 27, between this valve-seat and the plug 2 2, prevents accidental displacement of the valveseat, while a spring 26 presses the checkvalve normally against its seat, but permits it toyield to the flow of combustible mixture through the passage. v

A novel feature of the invention resides i in a lever of generally-triangular form,

shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. This lever has at each apex an outwardly ofiset engages one of the valveballs16, and these fingers are connected by bars 29 coinciding with the sides of the triangle. Each bar is provided with a central perforation 30, and the lever is mounted upon three fulcrum -pins 31, which are screwed at their ends into the casing, and which pass loosely through the holes 30 in the lever. At the middle of each fulcrum; pin is a collar 32, constituting a fulcrum for the lever.

The arrangement just described. is such that in case either valve-ball is moved to open position, the ball presses against the,

corresponding finger on the lever, and thereby rocks the lever upon the two fulcrums engaging'the two adjacent sides of Accordingly the other two an equal distance in the opposite direction, thereby moving the corresponding valve-balls to closed position against their seats. Accordingly, in the groupvof three cylinders, one selector-valve is always open,

aiiording communication with one cylinder, while the other two valves are closed. To apply this arrangement to a six-cylinder engine it is necessary only to duplicate the arrangement of valves and levers as illustrated, the cylinders being controlled in two independent groups of three. Thus, in a six-cylinder engine there are always .two cylinders which are in communication with the source of supply of combustiblemixture, the pistons in these cylinders being also in the proper position to receive a starting impulse. 'To' afford convenient ac cess to the detent-devices, each portion of the valve-casing is providedwitha threaded central perforation, which is normally closed by a screw-plug 33. i

The device for restricting back-flow of gas from theengine-cylinder while the engine is in normal operation isshown in vertical section in Fig. 1. The pipe 12 is connected with the enginecylinder 13 through a T 34: which serves conveniently also as means for connecting the usual priming-cock 35 with the cylinder. Between the pipe and theT is a cylindrical casing 36 which is connected at one end, with the pipe by means of a gland 37. The other end of the casing is closed by a screw-cap 38 which has a nipple screwed into .the T. Closely fitting within-the casing 36 is a generallycylindrical member 39 which is centrally perforated and provided with a valve-seat cotiperatingwith avalve-bal'letO. The valve ball moves in a cage 42 having ribs by which the ball is guided and its movement limited.

The valve-ball 4O constitutes a check-valve which permits gas to flow from the selector to the engine-cylinder, but prevents the return of gas from the cylinder through the passage controlled by the ball. To permit the return flow of gas when necessary, however, a long and slender passage is provided .by forming a helical groove 43 in the outer surface of the member 39. This groove is connected with the space at the right of the check-valve by means 'OfEL radial passage.

44, and its left-hand end is connected with the central passage leading to the pipe 12 by means of-a radial passage .45. The resistance opposed to the fiow'of gas by this long and slender passage is so great that, during the normal running of the engine, there is not sufficient time for any substantial return flow of gas during the compression and expansion-strokes of the engine. Accordingly while the engine is running normally there is little or no motion in the valve-balls 16 and the leversby which they are controlled, and thus wear on the mechanism of the selector is minimized, while the slight loss of compression in the engine cylinders which would otherwise occur is asst, however, the compression in the cylinare the 'assages 43' so asto move the selectormec anism into operative position for the next starting operation upon the engine;

In addition to" checking the return'flow of gas as .justdescribed the passages 43 cause gasreturning through them to be effectually cooled, the'heatand gas being transferred to the wa'lls of the casing 36 and thence to the atmosphere, so :that during the running of the engine such gas as finds its way through the passage 43 during the expansion-stroke of the engine isreduced substantially below the ignition temperature and the selector is protectedzagainst the injuriouseflect of high temperature.

My invention is not limited to the embodiment thereof hereinbefore described and illustrated-in the accompanying drawings, but maybe embodied in varid'us 'forms','w-ith'- in the nature of the invention as it is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

ing apparatus having, in combination, valves for controlling the admission of air to the ing apparatus having, in combination, three valvescontrolling the admission of air to as many cylinders of an engine, saidvalves being movable, respectively, into open position by pressure from the respective cylinders, and lever connections, between the valves whereby". movement of either valve to'open position causes movement of the other two valves to closed osition.

3. -An automatic selector for engine-starting apparatus, having, in combination, three valves for controlling the admission of air.

to as many cylinders of an engine, said 'valves being movable, respectively, 1nto open position by pressure from the respective cylinders, and a lever of generally-triangular form engaging the valves at the respective apices of the triangle and fulcrumed between said apices, so that the movement of either apex, by the operation of the valve engaging said apex, causes opposite movement of the other apices to close the other two valves.

4. An automatic selector for engine-starting apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of valves for controlling the admission of a1r to the respective cylinders of an engradually forces gas backward through 1. An automatic selector for engine-start the corresponding valve causes opposite movement of the other apices to close the.

valves connected therewith.

5. Engine-starting apparatus having, in combination with an internal-combustion engine, a source of supply of combustible mix ture, a casing provided with an inlet corinected with said source of supply and a plu-' rality of outlets connected, respectively, with three'or more cylinders of the engine, a valve controlling each outlet and movable into open position by pressure from the corresponding cylinders, and mechanism connecting the valve whereby movement of either valve to open position closes a plurality of the other valves.

6. Engine-starting apparatus having, in

combination, a selector adapted to be connected with an internal-combustion engine and operated by pressure from the engine, and connections between the selector and the engine including means for restricting the flow of gas from the engine to the selector,

said means permittingfree flow the selector to the engine. s

7. In combination with an internal-combustion engine and a selector dapted to be connected with the engine and operated by pressure therefrom, connections between the engine and the selector comprising a comparatively unobstructed passage adapted to permit free flow of gastherethrou h, a check-valve for preventing flow 0 gas of gas from through said passagefrom the engine to the selector, and a second passagecaroundsaid check-valve to permit a'restricted flow of gas from the engine .to the'selector.

8. In combination with an internal-combustion engine and a selector adapted to be connected with the engine and operated by pressure therefrom, connections between the engine and the selector comprising a comparatively unobstructed passage adapted to ,permit free flow of gas therethrough, a

check-valve for preventing flow of gas.

through said passage from the engine to the selector, and a second elongated, narrow passage around said check-valve to permit a restricted flow of gas and to cool the gas passing therethrough.

' EDWARD A. HALBLEIB.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents.

- Washington, D. 0. 

